Vanderbilt has launched a major effort to help improve the communication of science, engineering and technology in America. This effort has two major components:
- An office of science and research communications
- A new
contract interdisciplinary degree program in science communications
The
Office of Science and Research Communications in the Division of Public
Affairs is working to increase public understanding of the scientific, engineering
and technological research being conducted on campus. We use both conventional
media and the internet to inform the public of the products and the process
of scientific discovery, as well as the personality of the discoverers.
The
academic program is closely tied to the communications effort and is designed
to develop the bridging skills in undergraduate students that are required
to understand science and technology and effectively communicate it to
the public. Graduates of the program are forging interesting and rewarding
careers in areas ranging from science public relations, to management
consulting, to public health.
One of the key elements in our program Exploration, an
online research magazine. The site is designed to make use of the multi-media
capabilities of the World Wide Web to convey the excitement and importance
of scientific research in new and interesting ways. Its URL is http://exploration.vanderbilt.edu/home.htm.
Today,
there is a large communication gap between the small group of scientists
and engineers who carry out research and the public that needs more information
about science and technology. Vanderbilt's Dr. Rick Chappell and award-winning
broadcast journalist Jim
Hartz studied this communications gap and wrote a report about it
that was published in 1998. In the report, Worlds
Apart, they recommend that one way to bridge the gap is to create
a cadre of "science communicators" - people who understand the
language of science and engineering and are expert communicators.In both our public affairs and academic efforts, we are implementing a number of the recommendations of Worlds Apart In so doing, we hope to contribute to a dramatic change in the way that science and engineering are communicated, a change that will significantly improve people's understanding of this fascinating and vital aspect of modern life.
(Copyright © 2002 Vanderbilt University)